Tag: pittsburgh pirates

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Pirates Morning Report:

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 4 ST. LOUIS 18

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: SOMEBODY TOLD BRYCE WILSON THAT HE WOULD ONLY BE PITCHING BATTING PRACTICE TO THE CARDINALS TODAY AND HE BELIEVED THEM. THE GAME STARTED AT 11:30, WAY TO EARLY FOR THE PIRATES. EVEN THOUGH NOTHING MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN A GAME LIKE THIS, THE PIRATES CONTINUE TO PUT OUT THESE STRANGE LINE UPS. ANOTHER INFIELDER IN RIGHT FIELD AND HE COULD NOT THROW A RUNNER OUT AT THE PLATE FROM 170 FEET. KE’BRYAN HAYES MADE ANOTHER ERROR TODAY. I DON’T THINK ARENADO WILL HAVE TO BE WORRIED ABOUT HAYES STOPPING HIS GOLD GLOVE STREAK THIS YEAR, OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. FINALLY, THE PIRATES SENT A REQUEST TO THE LEAGUE OFFICE, THAT FROM NOW ON THEIR OPPONENTS HAVE TO HAVE A POSITION PLAYER PITCH AT LEAST ONE INNING, IN EVERY GAME. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THE PIRATES HAVE A CHANCE AT SCORING RUNS.

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: WHEN BRYCE WILSON THROUGH A PITCH.

NEXT GAME: TONIGHT, ROCKIES IN PITTSBURGH. THE PIRATES ARE 9-13 AT HOME AND THE ROCKIES ARE 5-10 ON THE ROAD. EXPECT SOME GREAT BASEBALL. I HEAR THAT SHELTON IS THINKING OF STARTING REYNOLDS, GAMEL, AND SUWINSKI IN THE INFIELD. HE IS PUTTING HAYES, CASTRO, AND CHAVIS, IN LEFT, CENTER, AND RIGHT. WHY NOT? I AM SURE THE PIRATE ANNOUNCERS WILL BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY THOSE MOVES.

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Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 2 PADRES 5

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: IT BEGAN WITH THE LINE UP CARD AND WENT DOWN HILL FROM THERE. THIS TEAM DID NOT FIELD WELL, HAD VERY POOR BASE RUNNING AND THE BULLPEN DID NOT PERFORM WELL, PARTICULARLY IN THE NINTH INNING. A SOLID PERFORMANCE BY MITCH KELLER WAS WASTED, AS SHELTON CHOSE NOT TO PLAY CHAVIS AND CASTILLO. THIS TEAM IS BEGINNING TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE NO BASEBALL SENSE, EVEN FROM THEIR BETTER PLAYERS.

KEY PLAY OF THE GAME: THE PIRATES LOADED THE BASES WITH NOBODY OUT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH. FINALLY, MICHAEL CHAVIS GOT INTO THE GAME, AND HIT A SACRIFICE FLY, TO BRING THE PIRATES WITHIN ONE RUN. HOWEVER, WHEN THE THROW CAME ALL THE WAY TO THE PLATE, NEITHER OF THE TWO PIRATE RUNNERS ADVAN CED TO THIRD AND SECOND, WHICH THEY COULD OF DONE EASILY. DIEGO CASTILLO PINCH HIT NEXT AND HIT INTO AN INNING ENDING DOUBLE PLAY, WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE, IF THE RUNNERS HAD MOVED UP. IF THE PADRES HAD PLAYED THE INFIELD IN, IT MAY HAVE GONE FOR A HIT AND PUT THE PIRATES IN THE LEAD

NEXT GAME: TUESDAY IN DETROIT. ITS HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT THE PIRATES ARE GOING TO PLAY FIVE GAMES ON THE ROAD AGAINST TEAMS WITH A WORSE RECORD THAN THEIRS. IT WILL TAKE ALL OF SHELTON’S IMAGINATION TO COME UP WITH LINE UPS THAT CAN LOSE TO THESE TEAMS, BUT I AM SURE HE WILL BE UP TO THE TASK. I CAN’T WAIT.

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Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 7 PADRES 6 IN 10 INNINGS

WHY THE PIRATES WON: THE PIRATES BATS CAME ALIVE AND MICHAEL CHAVIS HIT A HOME RUN TO TIE THE GAME 5-5 IN THE EIGHTH. THE BULLPEN WAS LESS THAN STELLAR BUT THE PIRATES DID GET A FAIR START FROM J. T. BRUBAKER GOING FIVE INNINGS AND GIVING UP A THREE RUN HOMER TO ERIC HOSMER. THE PIRATES WINNING RUN SCORED, THANKS TO THE SAME HOSMER’S THREE BASE ERROR, WHICH ALLOWED KE’BRYAN HAYES TO SCORE FROM FIRST BASE.

KEY PLAY OF THE GAME: THE PIRATES TIED THE GAME 3-3 IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FIFTH WHEN BRYAN REYNOLD’S DOUBLE PLAY BALL WAS NOT TURNED BY THE PADRES, BECAUSE OF A BIZARRE SPIN MOVE, BY PADRE SHORTSTOP HA-SEONG KIM. IF THEY TURN THE DP, LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE, THE RUN DOES NOT SCORE AND THE GAME WOULD NOT HAVE GONE INTO EXTRA INNINGS. THE FINAL WOULD HAVE BEEN 5-4 PADRES.

NEXT GAME: TODAY PADRES AT PITTSBURGH. PIRATES WERE ABLE TO SNAP THE FOUR GAME LOSING STREAK THANKS TO SOME SHODDY PADRE DEFENSE. THE SUNDAY STARTING LINE UP MAY GUARANTEE THE START OF ANOTHER LOSING STREAK. ONLY THE SHELTON KNOWS.

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Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 3 PADRES 7

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: BAD PITCHING THROUGHOUT THE GAME WAS THE MAIN REASON THE PIRATES LOST. ZACH THOMPSON,EVEN THOUGH HE GAVE UP ONLY THREE HITS, STILL SURRENDERED FOUR RUNS IN FOUR AND A THIRD INNINGS. RELIEVERS FLETCHER, HEMBREE AND SAM (I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I’M DOING) HOWARD, EACH GAVE UP A RUN, IN AN INNING OR LESS OF WORK. THE PIRATES COULD ONLY MUSTER THREE RUNS ON TEN HITS AND TWO WALKS. NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY WERE NOT VERY CLUTCH.

KEY PLAY OF THE GAME: THE KE’BRYAN HAYES HOT SHOT UP THE MIDDLE THAT BOUNCED OFF YU DARVISH SO HARD THAT MANNY MACHADO WAS ABLE TO THROW HAYES OUT AT FIRST BASE. EVEN THOUGH THE PIRATES DID SCORE THEIR THIRD RUN IN THAT INNING TO MAKE THE SCORE FOUR TO THREE, THIS PREVENTED THE PIRATES FROM POSSIBLY HAVING A BIG INNING.

NEXT GAME: TONIGHT PADRES IN PITTSBURGH. THE PIRATES ARE ON A FOUR GAME SKID WHICH I AM SURE IS MAKING MANAGEMENT HAPPY RIGHT NOW. THEY ARE HEADING IN THE DIRECTION THEY WANT.

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Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 2 BREWERS 3

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: THE BATS HAD ANOTHER QUIET DAY AS THE PIRATES COULD ONLY COLLECT SIX HITS AND ONLY ONE OF THEM WAS AN EXTRA BASE HIT. THE BREWERS DID NOT WALK A BATTER. STRATTON FAILED TO HOLD THE LEAD IN THE NINTH BUT THE WINNING HIT BY MCCUTCHEN COULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT. QUINTANA HAD ANOTHER SOLID START STRIKING OUT NINE WITH NO WALKS AND GIVING UP ONLY ONE RUN IN FIVE INNINGS.

THE KEY PLAY: THE MCCUTCHEN HIT TO GIVE THE BREWERS THE LEAD WITH WITH ONE OUT IN THE NINTH. THE PIRATES WENT QUIETLY IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH

NEXT GAME: TONIGHT PADRES IN PITTSBURGH. INDEED IT LOOKS LIKE THE BREWERS HAVE THE PIRATES NUMBER THIS YEAR. THEY DID BOUNCE BACK FROM THE FIRST SWEEP IN MILWAUKEE. WE WILL SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO AGAINST THE PADRES. IT IS TIME TO MAKE BEDNAR THE CLOSER. STRATTON IS JUST TOO INCONSISTENT.

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Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 1 BREWERS 3

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TYPE OF GAME, WHERE NEITHER TEAM COULD HIT, THE PIRATES TURNED IT INTO AN ART FORM, GETTING ONLY ONE HIT AND SCORING THEIR ONLY RUN ON A DOUBLE PLAY BALL. THE DEFENSE ALLOWED THE TYING RUN TO SCORE. SAM HOWARD SHOWED EVERYBODY HOW NOT TO PITCH. COMING ON IN THE TOP OF THE NINTH WITH ONE OUT, HE PROMPTLY HIT THE FIRST BATTER, GETS ONE OUT, THEN WALKS THE NEXT 3 BATTERS TO MAKE THE SCORE 3-1. WHY HE WAS ALLOWED TO WALK THAT MANY BATTERS IN A ROW IN A CLOSE GAME, ONLY THE SHELTON KNOWS. JOSH HADER PITCHED THE NINTH FOR THE BREWERS, WHILE OUR TOP TWO RELIEVERS SAT COMFORTABLY IN BULLPEN OF A ONE RUN GAME. ONE TEAM TRYING TO WIN GAMES AND ANOTHER TEAM NOT. I’LL LET YOU GUESS

KEY PLAY OF THE GAME: TOP OF THE SIXTH, THE PIRATES HAD FIRST AND THIRD WITH NOBODY OUT AND KE’BRYAN HAYES GROUNDED INTO A SPECTACULAR DOUBLE PLAY. EVEN THOUGH RUNS WERE HARD TO COME BY, THE BREWERS WERE WILLING TO GIVE UP THE RUN, BECAUSE THEY KNEW THE MOVES THAT SHELTON WAS GOING TO DO THE REST OF THE GAME.

NEXT GAME: TODAY, BREWERS IN PITTSBURGH. THIS LOOKS LIKE ONE OF THOSE YEARS THAT THE BREWERS COULD BE DOMINATING THE PIRATES. THEY HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE. LAST NIGHTS LINE UP LOOKED GOOD ON PAPER BUT DID NOT WORK OUT. TODAYS SHOULD BE INTERESTING.

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Pirates Morning Report:

FINAL SCORE: PITTSBURGH 0 CHICAGO 21

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: THEY SHOWED UP BUT TOOK THE DAY OFF. IN A GAME LIKE THIS, THERE IS NO KEY PLAY OF THE GAME. HOWEVER, LEAVE IT TO THE PIRATE ANNOUNCERS, MAINLY GREG BROWN, TO BRING THE GAME DOWN TO AN EVEN LOWER LEVEL. WHEN MIGUEL YAJURE, WHO IS OFF TO A BAD START THIS YEAR, WAS GETTING PUMMELLED FOR 7 RUNS IN 2 AND 1/3, GREG BROWN DECIDED TO MENTION THAT THE PIRATES LIKE ALL MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS WERE GOING TO HAVE TO CUT THE ROSTER TO 26 PLAYERS. HE THEN SAID THAT THE PIRATES WOULD BE SENDING DOWN ONE OF THEIR PITCHERS. TALK ABOUT KICKING SOMEONE WHEN THEY ARE DOWN. MY THOUGHT AT THAT TIME WAS, TOO BAD THE PIRATES ARE NOT CUTTING DOWN ON ANNOUNCERS ON MAY 2ND, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE GREG BROWN LEAVE THE BOOTH. THE BIGGEST SHILL THE PIRATES HAVE, JUST SAID I GUESS IT’S OBVIOUS WHO THEY SHOULD CUT, WITHOUT HAVING ENOUGH GUTS TO ACTUALLY SAY HIS NAME. WHAT A CHICKEN SHIT. THAT GOD FOR DVR SO I GET TO LISTEN TO THOSE GUYS AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.

THE NEXT GAME: TODAY CUBS IN CHICAGO. MAYBE WE WILL GET 3 OF THE FOUR OUTFIELDERS IN THE STARTING LINE UP. BEING A SUNDAY GAME, LET’S HOPE THAT THE PIRATES DON’T DEEM THIS ANOTHER DAY OF REST. DESPITE THE HORRIFIC LOSS, THEY CAN WIN THE SERIES.

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Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 5 NATIONALS 3

WHY THE PIRATES WON: DESPITE ANOTHER BIZZAR STARTING LINE UP, THE PIRATES WON BECAUSE OF SOME TIMELY HITTING, A WIDE STRIKE ZONE BY THE HOME PLATE UMP AND ANOTHER SHUT DOWN PERFORMANCE BY THE BULLPEN. MICHAEL CHAVIS HAD ANOTHER GREAT GAME. THEY OVERCAME ANOTHER BASERUNNING BLUNDER AND IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SECOND THEY HAD 1ST AND 3RD AND NOBODY OUT AND FAILED TO SCORE. IT WAS NOT THE GREATEST PERFORMANCE BUT QUINTANA HUNG IN THERE THROUGH 4 INNINGS GIVING UP 3 RUNS WHEN IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE.

KEY PLAYS OF THE GAME: YOU COULD SAY THE PIRATES WON THIS GAME BY A HALF STEP AND A HALF A HAND. THE HALF A HAND WAS HOW MUCH JOSH BELL WAS OUT AT HOME PLATE IN THE TOP OF THE 7TH, WHICH COST THE NATIONALS A RUN. THE HALF OF STEP WAS HOW MUCH YOSHI TSUTSUGO WAS SAFE AT FIRST WHICH ALLOWED THE PIRATES TO SCORE A RUN, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE GAME.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WIN: THIS WAS THE PIRATES FIRST SERIES WIN IN OVER A YEAR. LAST YEAR, THEY WERE THE FIRST TEAM IN MAJOR LEAGUE HISTORY TO GO AN ENTRIRE SEASON AND NEVER WIN A SERIES. THEY ENDED THAT STREAK YESTERDAY.

NEXT GAME: TONIGHT, THE BREWERS IN MILWAUKEE. WILL WE SEE THE A TEAM? HIGHLY UNLIKELY BUT POSSIBLE, SINCE THE OLD MEN REYNOLDS AND HAYES ARE NICE AND RESTED.

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Pirates Morning Report:

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 6 NATIONALS 4

WHY THE PIRATES WON: THE PIRATES HAD 3 OUTFIELDERS. THEY WERE ABLE TO OVERCOME A BASERUNNING BLUNDER. THEY GOT AWAY WITH GIVING UP SIX WALKS. THEY HAD OUTSTANDING DEFENSE AND A FEW LINE DRIVES THAT WERE HIT RIGHT AT SOMEONE. THEY HIT IN THE CLUTCH. THE BULLPEN WAS GOOD AGAIN DESPITE HAVING A SHAKY NINTH INNING. SHELTON HANDLED THE BULLPEN VERY WELL, BRINGING BEDNAR IN DURING A HIGH LEVERAGE SITUATION IN THE 7TH INNING.

KEY PLAY OF THE GAME: WITH THE PIRATES CLINGING TO A 3-2 LEAD IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 8TH, MICHAEL CHAVIS CAPPED OFF A GREAT GAME BY LEADING OFF THE INNING WITH WHAT LOOKED TO BE A ROUTINE DOUBLE AND TURNED IT INTO A TRIPLE, WHEN THE NATIONAL’S LEFT FIELDER MADE A LEISURLY TOSS TO THE SHORTSTOP. THIS BASE RUNNING GEM SET UP THE ENTIRE INNING THAT ENABLED THE PIRATES TO SCORE 3 INSURANCE RUNS, THAT TURNED OUT TO BE THE MARGIN OF THE VICTORY.

NEXT GAME: TODAY, NATIONALS, AT PITTSBURGH. WITH PATRICK CORBIN PITCHING FOR THE NATIONALS, THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THE PIRATES WILL HAVE 3 OUTFIELDERS AGAIN BUT DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH.

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Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 1 CUBS 2

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: IT STARTED WITH THE LINE UP CARD. CHAVIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT FIRST BASE AFTER THE GREAT GAME HE PLAYED. COLE TUCKER IN RIGHT FIELD. WHY? I GUESS THEIR BIG GOAL IS TO GET THE NO. 1 PICK NEXT YEAR. THE PIRATES TWICE HAD A RUNNER ON SECOND WITH NO ONE OUT AND FAILED TO MOVE HIM OVER AND FAILED TO SCORE.

KEY PLAY OF THE GAME: IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SIXTH THE PIRATES HAD A RUNNER ON SECOND AND ONE OUT WITH MICHAEL CHAVIS COMING TO BAT. THEN SHELTON DECIDES TO PINCH HIT FOR CHAVIS, WITH THE TURTLE. AGAIN WHY? CHAVIS’S SPLITS RIGHTY LEFTY ARE NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENT. PLUS, THIS IS THE GUY WHO ALMOST WON YOUR LAST GAME SINGLE HANDED. GRANTED HE HADN’T LOOKED ALL THAT GOOD UP TO THIS POINT BUT MOST OF THE PIRATE BATTERS WERE IN THE SAME BOAT. OF COURSE, THE TURTLE MAKES IT LOOK EVEN WORSE BY TAKING 6 STRAIGHT PITCHES AND 3 WERE STRIKES. WHEN HE CAME TO BAT THE NEXT TIME, HE SWUNG AT 3 OUT OF 4 PITCHES AND 2 OF THOSE WERE BALLS. THIS IS A DFA WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE SOONER THE BETTER.

NEXT GAME: CUBS TODAY AT HOME. CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THE STARTING LINE UP. HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE WILL LOSE?